A Reason to Live
by phoenixdragonsphinx
Summary: Ten years after the second war ended, Harry finds his reason to go on.
1. Ghosts

i own nothing you recognise and most things you don't, thx to JKR for letting me play with her toys

_**A Reason to Live**_

Harry Potter walked home to his apartment in downtown Atlanta. It was late and he had worked a double that day. As soon as he walked in the door he kicked his shoes off, pulled his shirt over his head letting it drop to the floor and locked the door behind him. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the fridge before flopping down on the couch.

Harry sat in the silent darkness for awhile before reaching over to grab the photo album off of the coffee table. It was the same one Hagrid had given him so many years ago, although now it was much thicker as he had added to it over the years.

He opened to the first page to see his mum and dad dancing in the snow above a picture of the marauders clowning around outside the three broomsticks. Turning the pages was like watching the movie of his life. His parents and their friends when they were at school, then at their wedding, a very pregnant Lily, Sirius and Remus fawning over him as a baby, him and his dad asleep on the couch, cake smeared all over his face on his first birthday. From there the pictures jumped to when he had started school. Dozens of himself with Ron and Hermione, flying, studying, playing chess, swimming. There were a few of Sirius before he had died, one of Sirius and Remus together Then many of the 'golden trio' as they were called a school with Ginny. Then many of just him and Ginny. The last picture was of him holding Ginny, her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist.

As seemed to happen every time he looked at the damn thing, he slammed the album shut and threw his beer against the wall. Why he kept the thing he didn't know, but every time he had tried to get rid of it he just could bring himself too. Harry had long since cried his last tear, but the pain returned every night. After awhile he got up and went about sweeping of the bottle pieces and cleaning up the spilt beer.

On his way to the kitchen to discard the bottle shards he glanced at the clock, 1:47. Noting the time he walked to his room and changed clothes. Grabbing his keys and slipping his feet back into his shoes he walked out the door. If he was going to get any sleep tonight he need something stronger than beer.

Buck's closed at midnight through the week, but the guys always stayed late to play poker during the summer and he knew Jim would let him in. Losing a few hundred and getting pissed sounded like a good way to spend the night to him. Better by far than sitting in a dark apartment with the ghost of his past.


	2. what's left of my life

_**What's left of my life**_

As Harry walked from his home to the bar he couldn't stop thinking about his friends. Gods he missed them. Maybe if any of them had survived the war he would have been able to cope. But none of them had. Remus had been the first, Wormtail had gotten to him. Then all of the Weasleys except Percy, Ron and Ginny had been trapped in the burrow as it was burned to the ground. Tonks had been with them that day. Hermione was next, she had been killed in the backlash of his destroying one of those accursed horcruxes. Of all the deaths up to that point he and Ron had felt that one the hardest. Sadly Ron had followed Hermione to the grave barely two weeks later. The two had been attacked while they slept and had gotten split up as they tried to get away. Ron had been captured and his mutilated body was dumped at the gates to Hogwarts a week later. Ginny, he had lost at the last battle. Dozens had died that day and Hogwarts had been left in near collapse, but Ginny was the only death he remembered that day. She had jumped in front of him and taken a killing curse in his stead. Neville had joined his parents in insanity; Luna was alive as well but had not acknowledged anyone since that battle. She sat and stared, at least Neville mumbled and wandered. Luna had not moved on her own since that battle. McGonagall and Flitwick both died trying to protect Hogwarts as had many of the other students and teachers.

Of all of Harry's friends only Hagrid survived the battle alive and sane. Sadly, he took to drowning his sorrows in Firewhiskey and was drunk more often than not. Harry couldn't blame him. he over imbibed often as well. He still got Christmas cards from Hagrid every year and sent him one in return, but had not seen him since he left England. Nor had he had any other contact with the wizarding world since then. He had not even done magic since he left.

He last year in the wizarding world had been a hard one. He had killed more times than he cared to think about and had lost everything and everyone he loved. Accept Hedwig. She was still with him and he could bear to part with her. She lived in his back yard and came and went as she pleased. She would come and sit with him when he sat outside and come inside with him when it rained or got cold. She and those pictures were the only remnants of his old life he allowed in his new one.

After the war, he had been hailed a hero. In all honesty he had deserved it this time. Accept for his friends few had died. After Dumbledore's death he had spent every spare second training. His power level had gone through the roof. He had become easily the most powerful man alive. Wandless magic, multiple Animagi, mild metamorphic abilities, the gift of languages, he was even a fire elemental. But that had not been enough to save his friends. So what if he was the most powerful wizard since Merlin, he still had not been able to save the ones he loved the most.

So he had left. Adoring fan he had hundreds of; but true friends, not one. They were all dead.

He set up a relief fund, of his own money, to help out those who had suffered during the war. He had been named had Sirius' sole heir and as Dumbledore's. He used the money from Dumbledore account to run the relief fund to help the war survivors and rebuild Hogwarts. He had also combined the Black and Potter vaults, that money was to go to Hogwarts upon his death. His account manager, Silvertin, was the only magical creature other than Hagrid that knew how to reach him, as he was sent financial records once a year. Add to that the awards given him after the battles and all total he was worth more than the muggle royal family of Brittan. Not that he wanted it. He would give it all to have his friends back. He withdrew enough to get to America when he had left and the rest was used for charity or waiting in trust to go to Hogwarts.

He had planed to get a job as soon as he got to Atlanta, but that was when he had found out that OWLs only translated to a high school diploma and NEWTs to an associate's degree. If he wanted a good job he needed to go to college, muggle college. He had attended Georgia Tech and double majored in Romance Languages and German and Slavic Languages. He had figures this would be a cake walk with his gift in languages and had been right. While in school he started working nights to pay rent at a cheers-like bar named Bucks. And now, ten years later, he still hadn't left.

When Harry got to Buck's he banged on the back door. A few minutes later he heard the bolt clang and then the door opened.

Jim stood looking at him for a second, then spoke. "What? You have so much fun here during the day, you figured you come back at night?"

"No" Harry answered. "I just got paid and knew there'd be a game, besides I needa get pissed."

Jim stepped aside to let him enter laughing at his 'British-ism.' Even though he had been in America a decade he still reverted when he was tired or drunk.

"Pissed, huh? Well we need a fourth anyway." Jim commented. "Alright what's your poison?"

"Scotch. Whose not here?"

"Todd. You know the drill. Record what ya drink for inventory. Get whacha want an' join us. Will deal you in next hand." With that Jim headed back to his game.

Harry fixed his drink, if you can call grabbing a bottle of single malt and a glass 'fixing', and headed toward the game. On seeing him enter the other men involved exchanged glances. "You know, Harry, it'd be quicker if you just gave us your money and took the bottle home." Thomas said after Harry sat down.

Harry glared at the man who had spoken. Thomas, one of the other bar tenders, was a rather large black man that had been born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harry rather liked him best of the lot, even if he was a smart ass. Jim, the current owner, was Buck's son. He had taken over the place when his dad had died 6 years ago. The other player, Rick, was from Wisconsin. He had moved to Georgia for college and dropped out after a year. The other bartender, Todd, was from Tennessee.

"So Rick," Harry started, deciding to ignore Thomas' comment. "Where's you man?"

Rick made a face before answering. "His parent's are in town this week for the fourth..."

"And they still doesn't know he's Gay… so you got tossed on you arse till the in-laws leave?" Harry chuckled.

"Hell, Harry, they don't even know he drinks and he's worked in a bar for 2 years. Just as well I guess, his dad being a Church of God pastor, they probably quit helping him pay for his schoolin' and disown him if they knew. Anyway, Tommy-boy here offered his couch for the duration out of the goodness of his heart. And 'cause I offered to work that weekend so he could take his girls to see the fireworks. Since I obviously won't be spending it with Todd, I figured I might as well be here makin' money."

Jim turned to Tom saying, "I though Mira got the girls independence weekend or I wouldn't have scheduled you, sorry."

"That's ok." Tom waved him off. "She was supposed to have them, but she was going up to her parent's place in D.C. and Shannon begged to stay here so I got 'um. Anybody got a light?"

"I do. Got another one of those with you?" Harry asked, seeing Tom pull out a cigar.

"Got a whole box." He answered passing the open box to the others at the table.

The talk around the table stayed light as they continued to play. Around 4 am Harry called it quits. He had lost a couple hundred dollars and finished of most of his bottle of Scotch. He waved to his friend and co-workers and began in treck home. Half way there he heard a sound that would change his life forever.


	3. A Cry in the Dark

_**A Cry in the Dark**_

Sometimes Harry wished that alcohol affected his system the same way it affected muggles. The magic in the blood of a wizard burned the alcohol out at a quicker rate than normal, and his blood was more magical than most. This had the effect of reducing the bottle of scotch he had just consumed to the equivalent of 3 or 4 shots. He had a light buzz, but was far from pissed. At least, working at a bar, he didn't have to pay for his liquor.

About two blocks from home he heard what sounded like a hurt dog, or maybe an abandon puppy; the soft cry of a scared animal. Harry had a tender spot for hurt animals, he blamed Sirius for it, but he could stand to see animals hurt. Looking up and down the empty street he sighed and started towards the ally, changing into his wolf form as he went. He figured if it was a puppy the quickest way to gain its trust was to be a canine himself.

As he headed into the ally he caught the sent of blood. He paused to sniff the air, human blood. He changed back into him self and then immediately into a raven. He flew over the ally to see what he was dealing with before he charged in.

A little girl, 2 at most and probably younger, sat crying holding onto a woman. The woman was hurt badly. The child was crying "MAMA MAMA MAMA" over and over. There was no one else in the ally that Harry could see.

Quietly, Harry landed out of sight and pulled out his cell phone dialing 911 as he slowly approached the two figures in the ally.

"Emergency, what is the problem?" said a ladies voice over the phone.

"I'm on Peachtree and 5th near the college; I found a woman and a baby in an ally. Both are hurt badly. I think the woman may be dead. He answered her, still easing closer to the child.

"I've dispatched marked units and emergency personal; to your location. Are you in any danger sir?"

"No." He answered her.

"Would you like me to stay on the line until the officers and medics get there?"

"No, I'm going to try to get the little girl away form the body."

"Don't move the child unless you can do so without injury to her. And if the woman is alive, do you know CPR?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"The officers should be they shortly. Good bye, sir."

Hanging up the phone and returning it to his pocket. Harry knelt behind the little girl. He startled the child and she started to back away from him in fear. Harry quickly ascertained that the woman was indeed dead before turning his attention to the terrified baby. Who was at the moment crawling away from him screaming, "no, mama, no, no, mama, mama."

Harry stood and moved to block her path. He sat down and opened his arms to the child. "Shhh, come here, honey. It's alright. Shhh." He continued to try to coax the child to him, all the while scooting closer to her. Softly, he started singing the only lullaby he knew.

**_Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling_****_  
_****_From glen to glen, and down the mountain side_****_  
_****_The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying_****_  
_****_'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide._****_  
_****_But come ye back when summer's in the meadow_****_  
_****_Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow_****_  
_****_'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow_****_  
_****_Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so._**

**As he sang the little girl stopped crying and sat listening to him. Harry had never considered himself to have a wonderful singing voice, but it did seem to entrance the child. As he sang he managed to get close enough to touch the girl, and he picked her up just as he started the second verse.**

**_And if you come, when all the flowers are dying_****_  
_****_And I am dead, as dead I well may be_****_  
_****_You'll come and find the place where I am lying_****_  
_****_And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me._****_  
_****_And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me_****_  
_****_And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be_****_  
_****_If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me_****_  
_****_I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me._**

The child struggled against him for a moment before relaxing into his embrace. He moved both of them away from what he assumed to be her mother's body and sat them facing away from it. he continues to sing to he as he sat waiting for the police to show up.

As he waited, he checked the child for injury. She had many bruises, a cut above her left eye and her lower lip was split. He ran his hand slowly over her lip as he sang and healed the cut there. He was by no means a qualified healer, but he had learned enough during the war that cut and bruises were easy enough. After finishing with her lip he moved to her brow. As he sang softly and gently rubbed the cut away, the little girl snuggled into his chest and fell asleep.


	4. The Little Girl

i own nothing... i just like to play with JKR's toys

_**The Little Girl**_

Harry looked down at the sleeping child in his arms and sighed. He had an eerie feeling that he was stuck. She was a cute little girl with light brown hair with a slight curl and deep green eyes. Not emerald green the way his were, hers had a brown rim to them and were flecked with brown as well. Her small hands had grasped hold of his shirt and bunched it up. He continued to gently shift her around in his arms as he looked for bruises or cuts that he could heal. She was still sniffling in her sleep, and each time he moved she would cling to him tighter.

He was forced to stop his inspection of the girl when he heard sirens approaching. He stood slowly and walked to the edge of the alley, still cradling the sleeping girl in his arms. From the alley way he could see three approaching police cars and an ambulance. The vehicles approached him and pulled to a stop. Six cops and 3 paramedics disembarked. One of the officers approached him.

"You called this in?" A heavy set, middle aged black lady asked him.

"Yes, ma'am. The lady is dead, I checked after I called, she's back there. The little girl here seems to be alright, but she was clutching to the body when I found them." He answered her. "It took a minute to get her to come to me, but she's sleeping now."

Harry stayed and answered questions about who he was and how he had found the two, while the others saw to the dead woman. Several other police officers arrived, as well as two detectives who took over the questioning him. All the while the little girl clung tightly to him in her sleep.

"We're gonna haft to take the little one to the hospital and get her checked out, then try to find the next of kin." One of the detectives said hold out his arms for the child.

As Harry moved to hand the little girl to him, she woke up. she looked around her, directly at the cop, then started screaming and thrashing about again. She was moving so wildly that the detective almost dropped her, before Harry reached for her again. He started singing softly to her again and she quieted down and snuggled into him again.

"It might just be easier if I go with her. I'm off work tomorrow anyway." Harry offered, after trying repeatedly to get the child to go to one of the other officers.

"Thank you. Mr. Evans." The detective said pointing to the ambulance. "if you could just ride in the back with her…" he trailed off as one of the paramedics came to escort Harry to the ambulance.

"I understand the child has taken quite a shine to you, Mr. Evans."

Harry looked to the door at the man to whom the voice belonged. Harry was sitting the lobby of the St. Josephs, still holding the girl. She had screamed and thrashed about anytime anyone had tried to take her from him. The nurse had decided it was in the child's best interest if Harry held her and she worked around that. The girl had still shied away from the nurse, but had remained quite. After the nurse determined that the child was healthy she had asked Harry to wait in the lobby for child services to arrive, that they would need to speak to him.

"You could say that. Mr…?" Harry waited for the man to introduce himself. The man was in his forties, slightly graying, tall and well built, dressed in a business suit without the jacket.

"Richard Thompson. Call me Rich." The man replied taking the seat across from Harry.

"Harry, what can I do for Rich?"

"Has the child spoken since you found her?"

"In the alley she was screaming 'no' and 'mama' but other than that, no." Harry replied. "Have they found out who she is? Who the lady was?"

"No, and they're not likely to. I understand you were the one who found them?" at Harry's nod he continued. "How closely did you look at the woman?"

"Not very." Harry admitted. "I checked for a pulse and when there wasn't one I concentrated on the little girl."

"They can't identify the woman. As I understand it, they think It was a professional hit. All identifying parts of the woman were removed. Fingerprints, teeth, eyes, not very pretty."

Harry grimaces at the man's description. "So you think the killer over-looked the girl, or just goofed and was supposed to kill both? Someone that through doesn't seem that the girl would still be around if he knew she was there."

"I don't know." Rich replied. "The papers are gonna say that both were killed and the girl is going to be placed in a home under a different name. She's too young to remember anyway."

Harry nodded. He had his doubts about the girl not remembering; after all he remembered the night his parents had been killed, but he said nothing about it. "So you're just here to pick her up? Good luck with that."

Rich chuckled. "So I've heard. No, Mr. Evans, I'm here to talk you into keeping her."


	5. Now What?

_**Now What?**_

Harry just stared at the man. "Rich, look I know nothing about kids, I work in a bar. I can't keep her."

Rich just smiled. "You work at Buck's bar and grill. You're 30 years old. You have a BA from Georgia Tech. You moved to the states when you 19 for college, applied for citizenship and was approved at 24, and you've never been in any trouble. I ran a through background check on you before I made the offer."

Harry just shook his head. Never had he been more glad than he was now that he had been meticulous when he set up his personal records in the muggles systems. "I won't be 30 for another month." was his reply.

"Will you at least agree to foster her for a month? If it's too much for you then someone from the state, probably me, will come get her. You know the details of the case and it would be best not to involve anyone else for awhile. If this was a professional hit, the fewer people that know she is alive the more likely she is to stay that way." Rich knew Harry would end up keeping her, even if Harry didn't. He could see it in the way he held her.

Harry thought it over. He knew nothing about kids, and this little one was still in dippers. He had always wanted children, but he had always thought they should be Ginny's as well. Having a kid around would wreck havoc on his life as well. He would have to change shifts at Buck's, or maybe even quit. No more smoking and a drastic cut back on his drinking. What little of a love life he had now was as good as gone as well. He looked down at he little girl in his arms. She was sound asleep, had two fistfuls of his shirt and her head turned into his chest. He sighed. He had known when he picked her up that he was stuck. "Yeah, yeah I'll keep her. It'd be cruel to keep her for a few weeks then send her away, so I'll…I'll keep her."

As Harry finished talking the little girl loosened her grip and woke up. She rubbed her little eyes and yawned. Look up at him she giggled, and then wiggled around so she was sitting on his lap facing him. She reached up and pulled his glasses off and promptly began playing with them. Harry snorted and let her. He didn't really need them anymore anyway. His magic had long since corrected his eyesight. They were little more now than a security blanket of sorts.

"Wonderful" Rich smiled, glad he had been right. "I have the preliminary forms with me. Those will let you take her home now. All you have to do is sign here… and here, here, here and here. If you could come by my office sometime this week we'll get the rest out of the way. Here's my card." Harry signed the forms and took the card. Just as he was about to bid Rich good bye he heard a Crack and the little girl started crying.

Harry quickly handed the forms back to Rich and shifted the little girl in his lap. She had broken his glasses at the nose and scratched her hand in the process. He took the broken pieces of his glasses away from her and waved a good bye to Rich, who nodded and walked away.

The little girl was sobbing and Harry softly began to sing. He held her hand in his and gently rubbed over the scratch until it disappeared. The child quieted to a small sniffle and looked down at the pieces of Harry's glasses. Harry held the two pieces together and closed his fist around them. "Watch" he told her. "Hocus Pocus" he silently repaired the glasses then opened his hand. "Good as new" he told her. She smiled at him and reached for them. He handed them to her. "Now be careful and don't break them again, ok?"

The child happy, Harry headed home. He was the most powerful man alive. He had fought and won a war. How hard could raising a child be?

* * *

Harry paid the man and got out of the taxi in front of his apartment. The little girl on his hip, he made his way inside toed off his shoes and went to his bedroom. Harry placed the little girl down on his bed then rummaged around in his chest of drawers until he found an old shirt and surreptitiously shrunk it before heading back to the bed. He glanced at the clock on his night stand, 8:28 am. "Alright, sweetie lets you and me get a couple hours sleep then we'll see about getting us some food and you some stuff."

He took his glassed away from her and placed them on the bedside table. Pulling off her socks he noticed she only had one shoe, where the other one had gotten to he had no idea, then pulled her little jumper over her head. He was about to put the new shrunk t-shirt on her when he thought to check her diaper. Upon finding it in dire need of changing, he opted for using a magical quick fix seeing as he had nothing else to put on her. Harry deciding he was in too deep to try to do this alone made a quick mental note to call Tom, he had two girls, he could help. That reminded Harry that he was supposed to close at the bar tonight.

Harry tucked the girl into his bed and walk to his desk where the phone was. He quickly called Buck's to talk to Jim.

"Buck's Bar and Grill, this is Rick. What can I do for you?"

"Rick, it's Harry I need to talk to Jim."

"Hey, Har. Jim ain't here right now, watcha need?"

Harry sighed and glanced toward the bed. The little girl had crawled out from under the covers and was reaching for his glasses again. He was a little shocked that the child had let him put her down that easily. She had steadfastly refused to leave his arms since he picked her up in the ally, but when he had placed her on the bed she had let go easily and had stayed fairly quite. He still didn't think she would let him leave her sight yet, and in fact she had not taken her eyes off of him since he put her down. But for the moment she seemed content to play with his glasses and watch him.

"Rick I can't work tonight. Something major happened to me on the way home last night. I know this is shit timing with Todd off all week and Tom having the girls, and I'm really sorry, but this was life changing for me. I need a few days to cope."

"Damn man, what happened?" Rick asked when Harry had finished.

"For now let's just say that I inherited a kid. She not quite two yet and I'm way in over my head. I'll tell you guys more later, but I need at least a week to get stuff settled."

Rick sighed. "Wow, that's heavy. You're right about this being shit timing, but we'll manage. Take care of whatever you need to. You should get a hold of Tom."

"He was my next call. Thanks Rick, I owe you."

"Yeah you do. Later."

"Bye." Harry hung up the phone and rubbed his face. He glanced had the girl then walked over and flopped down on the bed. "I'm beat, what about you?" The girl crawled over to where he lay and climbed up so that she was sitting on his stomach. This made him painfully aware of his dire need to pee.

Harry moved the child off his bladder and rolled onto his side facing her. "Are you gonna yell at me if I leave you here and go to the loo there?" he asked pointing to the door off to the side.

She just started to climb on him again. He laughed, moved her off again and stood up. "I'll be really fast, I promise." He turned to go. The second her got out of her line of sight she started to cry. He'd known she would, but there was no help for it. He hurried about his business, but moments after she started to cry she stopped again. This just served to make him move faster to see what was going on.

When he returned to his room it was to see the girl and Hedwig in a staring contest, both trying to figure out what to make of the other. Harry's laugh drew both sets of eyes to him. Hedwig looked affronted that Harry would acquire a small human without consulting her or at least giving her warning first. And the little girl didn't know whether this was a new toy to play with or something to be afraid of.

Harry held out his arm and called Hedwig to him. She immediately took flight and landed on his arm. "Hed this is…" he trailed off realizing that he had no idea what her name was. Hedwig gave him an exasperated look. "Well, I found her in an ally and she's all alone now so we're keeping her. I'll name her later."

He walked over and sat on the bed, putting Hedwig on his knee. He held an arm out to the girl and she slowly came to him. "This is Hedwig." He told her, holding on to her wrist and slowly running her hand down Hedwig's wings. "You have to be very gentle with her, ok."

He helped her pet Hedwig a few more times then spoke to his familiar. "Hed it's been a long night and we're going to take a nap so you're on your own 'til dinner." Hedwig cooed and gently nipped had his finger to show her acceptance of the situation. "Thanks, Girl." He said as she flew out of the room.

Harry turned to the child, picked her up and stood up. He placed her in the bed and tucked her in again. "You'll share with me for now and I'll get you a bed later. Now go to sleep." He pulled the covers up over her and took his glasses away again. Then set about getting ready for a nap. The girl fidgeted around for awhile until Harry turned the lights off and flopped down on the bed. Then she settled down and went to sleep.


	6. Baby's Day Out

AN: for those that were begging for a name for hte little girl, i deceded to be nice and give it to you a chapter earler than i planed. thank you to Nautilus for the idea on the "Mommy scene" and lastly, i've not been to Lenix Squarefor over 8 year so if my discription is off sorry.

and in case it hasn't been said, Sadly i own nothing... i wish i did, but alas, it is not to be.

* * *

_**Baby's Day Out**_

Harry woke up a little over four hours later with a baby sitting happily on his back cooing and giggling as she played with his hair. He groaned and shifted so he could see the clock, 12:51. He looked back over his shoulder as the child began to bounce and saw Hedwig flying into the room. He managed to extricate himself out from under the girl and dressed for the day. He looked at her clothes and decided to just leave her in the still-too-big-even-though-he-had-shrunk-it t-shirt, and her diaper.

He decided to write out a list of things he needed and things he needed to know before calling Tom. To that end he grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and took the little girl to the living room. He sat her on the floor in front of the TV and found a show about lions in Africa that he deemed interesting enough to hold her attention for awhile.

Setting down at the table he began his list.

_Things she needs:_

_clothes, toys, food, car seat, stroller, diapers, diaper bag, potty training stuff, bath stuff, _

As he listed things he realised he live in a one bedroom apartment. She could sleep with him for a while, but would soon need her own room. That meant he needed a new place. He rubbed his eyes. He would have to get in touch with Silvertin. He turned to the next page of paper and summoned his seal and wax. As the letter kit hit his hand he realized that he had done more magic in the past day than in the whole of the past ten years. Shaking his head he began his letter to Silvertin.

_Account Manager Silvertin _

_Gringotts Bank_

_Diagon Alley, London_

_Silvertin,_

_Recent events have made it necessary for me to have access to a large sum of money posthaste. I need to purchase and furnish a home in the next month. If you could make arrangements with all due speed I would be most grateful._

_May your vaults always be full,_

_Harry Potter._

Sealing the letter, he called Hedwig to him. "Take this to Silvertin at Gringotts in London, girl." Hedwig hooted and flew out the open window.

He checked on the girl, who was busy walking around the coffee table and knocking everything off of it and into the floor. Apparently the lion show wasn't as interesting as he'd hoped. He turned his attention back to the list.

_What I need to know:_

_When will she potty train?_

_When will she speak?_

_What is her name?_

_What does she eat?_

His attention was pulled away at the sound of glass breaking and the little girl crying. She had knocked a picture frame off of his entertainment center and had cut her hand. He rushed to her fixing the glass in the picture frame as he when and picked her up. He quickly healed her arm and hand as he soothed her trying to get her to stop crying. Briefly he wondered how muggles managed when they couldn't just heal the bumps and scratches.

He managed to get her to stop crying, but she refused to be put down. Walking to the table he added _how do I child-proof my house _to his list, shoved it in his pocket, and went to call Tom.

It took him a moment to figure out how to hold a child and the phone at the same time, but he figured it out.

"Hello?" a girl's voice answered.

"Hey, this is Harry, I work with your dad. Can I talk to him?" Harry answered as he shifted and sat with the girl on this lap.

"Sure, hold on." There was a brief pause, then he heard "DAD, SOME GUY'S ON THE PHONE FOR YOU" yelled on the other end.

"Hello" Tom said as he picked up the phone.

"Hey Tom, it's Harry. What are you and the girls doing this afternoon? I need a really big favor."

* * *

Harry didn't explain much to Tom over the phone, just that he wanted to take him and the girls shopping and he'd explain when he picked them up. So Tom got his girls ready to go and they waited for Harry to get there. Whatever Tom had expected it was not for Harry to show up at his door with a baby asking if he still had a car seat he could barrow for the day.

Tom moved out of the way and Harry walked in. As soon as Shannon as Harry with a baby she rushed to him and said, "Can I hold her?"

"If she'll go to you, sure. She's been adamant about not letting go of me though so…" he trailed off as Shannon held her arms out and the little girl gladly went to her. "Well alright then. Why don't you keep her entertained while I talk to your dad?"

Shannon and Tanya cooed over the little girl as if she were a new toy while Harry and Tom sat on the couch on the other side of the room.

"Harry." Tom began, "since when do you have a kid?"

"Since last night." Harry answered. "Look there's a lot I can't tell you, some because I don't know and others because it's not safe to. This is what I can tell you, she was abandoned in an ally near my apartment. I found her last night and this is the first time she's let me go since I picked her up. A guy from Social Services can to pick her up and she would have none of it. I agreed to keep her for a time. I'm gonna tell he tomorrow when I meet him again that I'll adopt her. But Tom, I have no clue what I need to get her I don't even know what to feed her. They gave me a jar of some goopy stuff at the hospital the she picked at. That was about 7 hour ago so I know she's hungry. I was hoping you and the girls could…" Harry was interrupted by an ear piercing scream.

"MAMA…mama." He jumped up and ran to the little girl scooping her up and gently rubbing her head where she had hit it to heal the ache. The little girl continued to wail and beg for her mother as Harry rocked her back and forth humming softly. When she quited he looked down to she that she was asleep.

"You won't have any problems, Harry. You're a natural." Tom told him after watching the display.

* * *

After Tom had dug through the attic and found an old car seat, they loaded us and headed to the mall. Before they had even gotten out of the subdivision they had to pull over so Harry and Shannon could switch seats, putting Harry in the back to attempt to quite the distraught child that had woken up when the car started to move.

After arriving at Lenox Square they headed first to the eatery. Harry opted for Chick-fil-A nuggets that could be broken into small pieces for his new charge and a sandwich for himself.

After they had all gotten settled Tanya asked Harry. "You never told us her name, Mr. Evans, what is it?"

Harry himed and haughed for a moment before confessing, "I don't know."

Shannon look puzzled. "How can you not know?"

Harry explained the same story that he had told Tom, finishing, "She's not old enough to tell me her name." He got a sad faraway look in his eyes before he said, "I had thought about calling her Evie."

"Evie? Why Evie." Questioned Tanya.

"It's short for Guinevere. A dear friend of mine was named Ginevra, which is also a form of Guinevere. I was kind of thinking of naming Evie after her." Harry explained.

Tom gave Harry a piercing look. "She's the one you told us about, isn't she? The one who died; the reason you moved to the states in the first place."

Harry just nodded. The rest of the meal was quite. Finishing up, Shannon offered to take care of Harry's trash while he saw to Evie.

* * *

The day passed in a flurry of bags and boxes. Harry just amused Evie and talked to Tom, while Tom's two girls ravaged through shop after shop picking out everything from a bathing suit with built in floaties to elaborate electronic toys designed to stimulate brain activity in infants. Harry just quietly paid for everything they picked out; his only objections was the red, white and blue Polly Flanders hoop dress Shannon claimed would be perfect for the fourth.

Tom watched his girls flit about busting Harry's bank account with mild concern. He knew what bartenders made. It was enough to meet bills and maybe have a little fun on, but the kind of money Harry was shoveling out sure wasn't in the budget.

When they left the fifth store he decided it was time to speak up. "That's enough girls. I'm sure you've put enough of a dent in Mr. Evans' wallet as it is."

"Thier fine Tom." Harry waved him off. "I still need my own car seat and a stroller, at least. The rest I can get after the move."

"Yeah!" both girls yelled in unison as they headed to the nearest baby supply store.

Tom watched his girls go pick out the items Harry had requested. He stopped Harry just inside the shop. "Harry. The Move?"

"Well I can't stay in a one bedroom apartment with a little girl, now can I? She's going to need her own room. I figured I'd buy a house since I have to move anyway." Harry answered his friend, shifting the now sleeping said little girl from one side to the other.

"Harry, I don't want to be rude buddy, but I know what we make at Buck's and it ain't enough to cover this shopping spree, much less a new house. Where's this money comin' from? You're not sellin' on the side are you?" Tom was a little worried for his friend. Buck had never allowed drugs or dealers in his bar and Jim was no different.

Harry sighed. "No Tom, I'm no dealer you know that. I guess it's a fair question though since I've never shared much of my past with any of you."

Tom nodded, glad that the money was coming from a painful past that Harry just hadn't told them about, instead of from his friend peddling drugs.

Harry sighed again. He couldn't really tell him where the money was coming from since it was all coming from the magical world, but he figured some muggle equivalency would work just as well. Shifting Evie again, he began.

"I had my reasons for leaving Tom, and yes, Ginny's death was a big part of it. Please don't make me go into to much detail. Suffice it to say that I come from money, titled lord of the realm and all that. When I left England I put all my assets in trust. I worked here because I wanted nothing here to remind me of my past, and that was plenty for just me. But, now I need that money again; or rather, she needs that money. I contacted my financier last night. Those funds will be available to me tomorrow. Yes I'm buying on credit today, but it's not going to put me out."

Tom was quite for a moment. "You're a Lord?"

Harry chuckled, "Something like that."

"Wow! So are you gonna stay at Buck's now?"

Harry shrugged. "I really don't know Tom. I'd like to, but we'll have to see. I'll have to cut back on my hours at least."

About that time Tanya yelled for them to come to the checkout lane. Harry headed that way digging out his wallet, and Tom waited at the door with Harry's bags.

* * *

When Harry and Evie got home, Harry made himself a sandwich and pulled little pieces of ham and bread off for Evie. He magically directed all the things they had bought to their places. Evie giggled as she watched the things fly around the room. Harry felt a moment's regret that he would have to stifle his magic again. Now that he had started using it again, he had remembered how much he loved it. But, his whole world was muggle now, all his friends and now Evie. He couldn't risk her saying the wrong thing to the wrong person and exposing him.

He had managed to hide from the magical world this long only because he hadn't been using magic. The ministries had no way to track him since he no longer used a wand, but to rely too much on magic was to risk exposure.

His tasks completed, Harry pulled a new nightgown over Evie's head and then spelling them both clean, they went to bed.


End file.
